Folks, I'm in a bit of a pickle.
Currently playing some heavy-grind AP with a bunch of powergamers, not only do I end way below the group level in term of optimisation skill, but I also finding myself struggling surviving the encounter and doing something meaningful at all.
The party was short of an arcane caster, so I decided to try my hand at the Magus, focusing on melee combat and simple tricks to boost damages. I may or may not have really failed at that.
Magus (Kensaï) Lv 14
For: 10 Int: 26
Dex: 18 Wis: 13
Con: 17 Cha: 9
(The characteristics have been dice rolled)
Saves
Reflex: +11
Fortitude:+14
Will: +12
117 HP
CA: 30
Bab with favored +1 weapon: +16/+11
Feats:
Weapon Finesse, Exotic Proficiency (Wakizashi)
Favored Weapon (Wakizashi), Step Up
Quick Draw
Light armor proficiency
Intensified Spell
Combat Casting
Improved Critical (Wakizashi)
Spell Combat -> Greater Spell Combat
Arcana:
Spell Shield
Critical Strike
I went for the Magical Knack(Grasping Shock) paired with Intensified Spell to add 10d6 to my melee damage on a spellstrike and Improved Critical on Wakizashi to crit on a 15-20.
I was hoping to reliably hit with the crit threat range and eventually double down with a Critical Strike applying some Corrosive Consumption and Disintegrate at higher levels.
Took Step-up since I was expecting regular casters, and was planning to deal with the robes myself.
The thing is, while my teammates have AB around 22-26, I well behind and struggle to hit anything at all.
That paired with the fact that most ennemies are either immune to electricity damages and/or are spell resistant (most often than not to both) make me epicly useless in combat, as I can't even sponge damages that well.
Between a seemingly poorly optimized character and a lack of luck, I had to stay in the back for the last sessions, throwing some support spells here and there while twindling my thumbs.
Is there anything I can do in the next levels to make up for my lack of efficiency regarding combat?
Light Armor proficiency is now useless since I'm wearing Bracers of Armors, so I can retrain at least one thing without losing perks, but given the AP, any return to town is probably out of question (we're nearing end of book 5, and it doesn't look like a break is in order).
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If you can get extra magus arcana (arcane accuracy) you have a +8 attack when you need it. That should put your attack bonus into the other PCs range. Spell penetration in place of combat casting would also help; combat casting must be mostly useless now. Those would take time and a trainer usually, I don't know whether you've got some kind of workaround but you did suggest retraining might be possible.
Edit: also remember to enhance your weapon using your arcane pool. That's another +4 attack and damage, and you can do it without retraining anything. It takes a swift action so you can't start it in the same round as arcane accuracy (if you get that), but it lasts the whole combat.
quicken (or normal) true strike = +20 to hit.
even if you use it as normal spell and not quicken. attack then cast with combat spell then next round use the bonus to hit with the spell strike. hitting the mark every 2nd round is better then missing every round.
if you can invest in spell storing weapon. it cast the spell you use on it with all the bonus stuff you add to it (like intensify) a nice vampiric touch or Scorching Ray can do a lot for the first attack that hit.
If you can get extra magus arcana (arcane accuracy) you have a +8 attack when you need it. That should put your attack bonus into the other PCs range. Spell penetration in place of combat casting would also help; combat casting must be mostly useless now. Those would take time and a trainer usually, I don't know whether you've got some kind of workaround but you did suggest retraining might be possible.
Edit: also remember to enhance your weapon using your arcane pool. That's another +4 attack and damage, and you can do it without retraining anything. It takes a swift action so you can't start it in the same round as arcane accuracy (if you get that), but it lasts the whole combat.
To add to this
Also consider Elemental Spell to prepare shocking grasps of another element and/vampiric touch
To circumvent lightning immunity
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step-up is a fine feat to keep. After all, it at least forces the caster to roll. Caster's don't like to roll, unless its for damage. They prefer to make YOU roll. 5% is still 5%.
Okay, feats-
Combat casting
Quick Draw
Light armor proficiency
improved critical
no go, retrain them. (or ask if you can just swap them out at this point)
combat casting- only good for lower levels, by the time you took it, there is no real need to. Swap it for something else. Like weapon specialization/focus
quick draw- again, only useful in specific builds. I don't see how this does anything for you, UNLESS you wanted to use metamagic rods. Then you could technically abuse this.
light armor prof- worthless. wand of mage armor, or even just 1 spell a day for it. Or, bracers of armor.
improved critical is legit only worth it if you are planning to invest heavily into critical debuff feats, and you shouldn't. You can even give your weapon keen.
Feats to consider-
Elemental spell
Weapon specialization (2 damage)
extra arcane points
extra arcana
disruptive(if you really want to try and annoy casters)
why wakizashi? Why not a katana? You lose nothing by using a katana, and gain 2 damage on a max roll. (the equivalent to a feat) I mean, if you're gonna spend a feat, at least get the better weapon.
your stats are a bit off. You are playing the more martial focused magus archetype, but went full hog into INT. You really needed some str for damage, or at least a way to up your DEX for your to hit.
So, we will have downtime to retrain a feat or two, and I was really misplaying my magus (first timer). It works waaaaay better when you DO use your arcane pool actively. Thanks for the advices.